NORTHERN Grampians Shire Council representatives had the opportunity to share and acquire new ideas at Rural Council’s Victoria’s three-day Rural Summit this week.
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The summit focused on the livability offering of rural and regional areas.
It aimed to equip council staff, leaders and residents of rural communities with skills, information and capacity to respond to the ever-changing environments.
Northern Grampians Shire Council mayor Tony Driscoll said the summit’s theme of livability in rural areas was pertinent to all councils attending.
He said it was important to flesh out ideas about attracting population and creating opportunities for communities.
Cr Driscoll said the summit broke livability down into 11 points, which included crime and safety, housing, education, employment, transport and health and social services.
“We look at the 11 points and we would think rural Australia ticks most of those boxes, but the data is showing that the fastest growing municipalities are urban areas. Whereas, three of the lowest growing municipalities are in the Southern Mallee region,” he said.
“We tick all those boxes, but the reality is we aren’t attracting the population.
“Rural Councils Victoria covers 75 per cent of Victoria’s land mass, but there is a significant imbalance in population and funding.”
Cr Driscoll said collaboration with Rural Councils Victoria, and progressing the conversation about population growth, was the next step.
“Rural Council’s Victoria are trying to draft a population growth policy to take to government and assist with potential programs that will assist the growth of rural Victoria,” he said.
“They’re also drafting a rural workforce development plan to identify and quantify the jobs required in regional rural Victoria.”